The city teamed up with the Goatscaping Company of Duxbury and Plymouth to host a small group of goats at the West Street Urban Wild in Hyde Park.

The goats are busy chomping away at poison ivy, buckthorn, Japanese knotweed and other plants growing on Boston Parks and Recreation Department property.

"Goats are an eco-friendly way to regulate overgrowth and manage pests and weeds, while giving nutrients back to the earth," said Boston Mayor Martin Walsh.

The idea came from a group of teens from the Hyde Park Green Team.

Goats are currently used on Boston's Harbor Islands and in other states and major cities including Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., as a safe and responsible way of managing overgrown and invasive vegetation.

Four goats will live on-site at the West Street Urban Wild for eight weeks. A low-voltage, solar-powered electric fence will be installed to keep the goats in and coyotes out, officials said. The fence is not harmful to humans, including children and the elderly, and even those with pacemakers. The goats will have a small hut for shelter. Supplemental water, hay, and grain will be stored on the site.